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Sherwood State of City recalls past, looks to future

Interim Mayor Lee Weislogel took the long view in his first, and last, State of the City.

Mayor Lee Weislogel's State of the City speech touched on the city's past, present and future, highlighting beloved Sherwood institutions and looking ahead to big developments and changes to come.

It ended with a plea to vote in the upcoming March 13 election.

Weislogel is an interim mayor, appointed late last year after former Mayor Krisanna Clark-Endicott resigned before facing a recall election. The speech — delivered Monday, March 5, at the Sherwood Center for the Arts — was his first and last State of the City, and he kicked things off by showing a slideshow of past Sherwood landmarks, including the old Smock House and the Robin Hood Theatre.

"This Robin Hood Theatre presented shows of 'Phantom of the Opera' as a silent showing with a piano accompaniment," Weislogel said as an image of the old theater was displayed behind him. "Some of us remember that."

Weislogel then highlighted the institutions that he sees as making Sherwood strong in the present day: the Sherwood Public Library, City Hall, the Center for the Arts — and the YMCA, which faced possible disruption last year when Clark-Endicott and other council members advocated for replacing the city's YMCA contract with an out-of-state provider, to much controversy.

"Our new agreement with the YMCA is significant and notable, with our partnership going forward," the interim mayor said. "It was kicked off with a visit from the City Council. The Council toured the YMCA facility with its staff."

Wieslogel also gave a shout-out to the Sherwood Police Department, noting that the department recently received grant funding for body-worn cameras.

Moving on to the future, Weislogel showed a photo of the site for the new Sherwood High School, which is funded by local bond dollars and will open in 2020.

"This project goes hand in hand with significant transportation improvements," Weislogel said, mentioning the possibility of expanding into Sherwood West and road improvements, including on Southwest Sunset Boulevard, which has a tricky intersection going onto Pacific Highway.

He also touched on quality of life, telling the audience that amid new developments and a possible expansion, "we seek to keep the small town spirit for our community." He pointed to annual celebrations like the Robin Hood Festival and the holiday tree lighting as helping to preserve that spirit.

Knowing that his time as interim mayor is almost up, Wieslogel ended by encouraging Sherwood residents to participate in the upcoming election.

"Please vote in the election," he said. "I've really had fun here, to connect with everything and everybody, and the people who really do care."